Too Real
by Undercover Godmother
Summary: Chihiro has grown up, and is coping with the loss of her parents and trying to work as a chef. However when Haku returns to her and says that the Spirit World needs her help, Chihiro will be dragged back into the magical world of her childhood.
1. Chapter 1

Why did it seem like everything was reminding her of the Spirit World today?

The way that man walked reminded her of the hefty Radish Spirit. Was that old woman strutting about like Yubaba? A boy looked like he could have been Haku's twin.

Clearly the world was laughing at her this morning.

Chihiro shook her head, her long brown ponytail bobbing in the back as she did so. It was merely because she was tired, right? The lack of coffee in the morning had thrown her off. If only she had awoken to find that her alarm clock had not rang at the normal time.

Dashing down the streets, she stumbled along to work. In her tiny town, she'd picked up work at the local ramen-ya. And she was going to be eaten alive by her boss this particular morning.

The woman had learned a year ago that on mornings when she could smell anything burning was when Miss Akita was in a foul mood. Miss Akita was the owner of the store – a stern woman who hid a generous heart. Chihiro had estimated her to be around sixty or so, despite the fact that the older woman could still see and hear like a hawk.

Normally Miss Akita made the best ramen in the area. However, when in a bad mood, she tended to get sloppy and the fried rice she made as a side often burned whilst she focused mainly on her super-secret ramen.

Sighing, Chihiro slipped on the restaurants basic white aprons and stepped into the kitchen. On such bad days, Miss Akita was also less lenient about her only assistant being late. This particular day, Chihiro found the woman cursing loudly at the burnt rice.

Hoping that she could go unnoticed, she began to pull out a new bag of rice. They would have to make more anyhow, and she liked to create rice balls. The patrons enjoyed them, and they reminded her of Haku. The brunette smiled at the childhood memory. Sometimes she would forget that it was indeed a memory, and think of it as nothing more than a dream. It was fantastical, really, and once she had gone to the ruins with a group of friends. Nothing magical had happened.

As a twenty-two year old woman who had passed through high school and nearly got through a culinary arts school, she should be able to accept that it was just a dream. But it was just too tangible to ever let go.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that when Miss Akita snapped at her she jumped. Gasping, Chihiro turned. "What was that, Miss Akita?"

"Where's your head girl!" The older woman sniped, "You're late!"

Rubbing her arm, Chihiro bit her lip and looked guiltily to the side. It was against her principles to be late – especially for Miss Akita whom she hated to let down – and it made her feel bad. "My alarm clock didn't go off this morning. I apologize."

The older woman looked at her, arms crossed and her face skeptical. "Indeed. You work on those rice balls. The customers like them, and I won't discourage them buying more." Chihiro nodded. At times, Miss Akita could be a skinnier and slightly younger looking Yubaba. It was, if nothing, amusing.

Even though Yubaba had been the terror of her young life, she could still view the grouchy spa owner as amusing. Besides, outside of the Spirit World, Chihiro had no reason to fear Yubaba.

Grinning to herself, she began to steam the rice. After which, she skillfully filled them various fillings (which were mostly salmon based). Some were left plain, but soon Chihiro had a little army of neat white hills looking at her. They reminded her vaguely of the statues outside the ruins.

She shook her head. What was it with today that that her dwelling on such a silly memory?

Customers were soon moving in an out. The pace at which people moved in and out of the small space never failed to amaze Chihiro, who was moving back and forth between tables carrying rice balls and bowls of ramen to and fro from the kitchen.

Today was a Monday – classifiable as the most hectic day of the week for reasons Chihiro had yet to figure out.

Business was business, according to Miss Akita. She often scolded Chihiro for thinking things out far too much. 'Certain things should just be accepted. When you do well on a Monday, you merely make food, and work quickly to ensure the customers come back next Monday.'

Hard work never bothered Chihiro. That had apparently been one of the things that had compelled Miss Akita to hire the then 21-year-old Chihiro as her assistant. It was only due to Miss Akita's age – and lack of children to boss around – that she had even needed an assistant. At times, the young woman found her grumbling about how upsetting it was to be getting older.

Really, it only made Chihiro smile to herself. There was something charming about Miss Akita's grumbling ways. To Chihiro, the older woman was a mentor and a parenting figure while she struggled to make a life for herself away from her parents.

She thought about them sadly – if only for a few moments. They had died a few years ago in an inexplicable car accident, while Chihiro was still working her way through culinary school. In fact, it had been during an exchange to the US that the accident had occurred.

Needless to say, she had rushed home the moment she'd gotten wind of the tragedy. The funeral had been expensive – so expensive that she'd even had to drop school. Which was part of the reason she was here working in this tiny town, and trying desperately to make ends meet.

Work was a blur. At times, she barely looked at the people who were ordering. Yes, she smiled at them and pretended to be friendly, but her mind was elsewhere. Her parent's memory haunted her, and at times she could hear her mother encouraging her and her father gruffly telling her that he loved his little girl. The way was she was tied to these memories drove her mad at times. People called her absent minded too.

It was all part of being Chihiro, no?

She rushed about, placing bowls of ramen upon tables. As she did so, she was stopped before she could move on with her tray by a hand grabbing her wrist as she moved away from the bowl. "You've changed so much," the person – a man she guessed by his voice – said softly.

Chihiro turned to look at the person, a smart remark like 'Oh I have?' It was certainly true – over the years she'd become taller and chestier. Beautiful people said, and she always waved them off because she was so focused on becoming a chef and paying off her debts so she could go back to school.

However this time she stopped. Shock made the tray tumble out of her hands. 'It can't be,' she thought, blinking at the man before her.

Slowly she took in his appearance. The same dark hair. The same shocking eyes. Everything was the same – he'd just turned into a man. His features had matured. He was no longer that twiggy little boy. He stood, and she had to look up into his eyes.

"Haku?" she asked in a tiny voice – half out of wonder and half out of fear.

He gave her a mysterious smile. "Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

"What – " A million things rushed to the forefront of her mind to say. What are you doing here? What is it about today? What do you want? What has happened to you? They all danced on the tip of her tongue, and her mind tumbled over the endless number of questions that she would love to ask him. "I mean, you…" She couldn't think of what to say. All of it was there in her head, and yet all she could do was look at him in surprise.

The last time they had seen each other she had been leaving. She had saved her parents. Twelve years ago. People could change a great deal in twelve years. She'd lost her parents. She'd gone to school. She was already having to pay rent and dealing with debt. Chihiro had grown up. What had happened to Haku?

Suddenly she felt something warm seeping through her ratty sneakers, and glanced down at her feet. The broth was sinking into her shoes, and the noodles sat haphazardly on top. Grimacing, she knelt down to pick up the bits of broken porcelain. "Haku, I have to work," she said, desperately, begging him to leave. The Spirit World wasn't part of this life anymore. It was a good story, yes, but all logic that had been ingrained in her psyche told her that he shouldn't be here. Because a spirit shouldn't be here.

He knelt down next to her, and began to pick up the pieces of bowl. "I know. I wouldn't bother you in here if it weren't important." She looked at him focusing on picking up the pieces of glass. He'd become quite handsome. His dark hair was still long enough to dance around his face every time he moved. He had lovely olive eyes which seemed to glimmer ever so very slightly, denoting a somewhat otherworldliness to him. Quickly Chihiro tore her eyes away. She'd loathe leaving a mess like this lying around for long.

Bits of bowl placed on the tray, she practically ran into the kitchen. This was either the best day of her life or the worst. To her heart it was a great joy to see Haku again. He was a friend, and furthermore he'd saved her life. It was hard to believe that suddenly he was here. Which was when her logic began to battle her. 'You're a big girl, and the idea that another Spirit World exists really is quite fantastical. Grow up.'

That had been something the world had been demanding of her. Grow up. Pay off your debts. Go to school. Get a job. Her father would have wanted that for her. He always had wanted her to succeed. He'd always wanted her comfort. Sadly, she looked at the floor. When she was ten, though, she'd saved his life. His logic then had been the same; if you have money and success you will be content with the world. That had gotten him turned into a pig, hadn't it?

Those sorts of memories blemished her childhood ideas of her father as the knight in shining armor. In fact, it was for that reason that her parents had always begged her to talk to them during school. She'd taken care of her own problems, and was going to take care of them now. Just like she always did.

She reached for the mop and filled the bucket up quickly. Just as she went to exit the kitchen, Miss Akita caught her by the arm. "You're not normally so clumsy. Who is he? Should I get rid of him?" The older woman eyed Haku suspiciously, and Chihiro thought about it.

It would be so easy to brush off his appearance and go back to her normal life. So easy to just let Miss Akita oust him. However the easy way was rarely the best way. That was something she had learned under the name of Sen. "No," she said, smiling. "I was just being clumsy. I haven't seen him in ages, and he startled me."

Miss Akita nodded, and looked sternly at Chihiro, "If you need me to deal with him, just say the word." Then gruffly she concluded, "Now clean up that mess and get the next few orders of ramen." With that, she bustled into the kitchen and stirred busily at a pot.

It made Chihiro grin. The older woman could be so protective sometimes. That was one of the reasons that she adored her employer. She wouldn't work under anyone else for the world.

Plunking the bucket and mop over near the mess, Chihiro began to deftly clean up her mess. She tried to ignore the squishing inside of her shoes as she did so. There were worse things to spill on shoes. After all, sneakers with ramen poured on them would still have nothing on the stink spirit. She grinned slightly, and paused to roll of her sleeves. It was easier to work that way.

"Chihiro. I need you to stop." Haku's voice pulled her from the reverie. She looked at him in an interested manner, but did not stop mopping. Miss Akita was counting on her to work efficiently, and she wasn't about to let the woman down. He sighed, and shook his head. "The Spirit World is in turmoil, and you might be in danger." Chihiro gave him a look as if to say 'Are you serious?' She was waiting for him to say that it was just a joke. That he was really just here to check up on how she was doing.

She knew better. She knew that Haku was not one to joke about such things. She also knew that he wouldn't just come because of her. For some reason that little bit of common sense made her sting a little from hurt.

"Why would I be in danger?" she asked, feeling satisfied that the floor was adequately clean. She pulled out a sign to warn people away from the wet floor, and rushed into the kitchen to dump her mop and bucket. She could see orders piling up, and Miss Akita was rushing about all by herself. Picking up another tray, she ran about from table to table. All the while, Haku followed her, attempting to explain.

Chihiro noted that for the most part he failed. People kept bumping into him, and she was trying to both listen to her customer's orders and to Haku. Just as life was eager to toss her memories of this Spirit World this morning, it was also eager to keep her as far away from the actual thing as possible.

Finally, Haku pulled her aside before she could grab another tray. "You need to listen, Chihiro." His eyes pleaded with her, and she glanced guiltily at Miss Akita who was giving her that look of disapproval that Chihiro loathed with all her being. It was probably because Haku had pulled the both of them into the smallest alcove possible. She bit her lip. This would look bad no matter how she skewed it for Miss Akita.

How did one explain the appearance of a friend who was a spirit whom you hadn't seen for twelve years because of it? How did you explain all that and how he came bearing news of your lack of safety?

"Miss Akita needs me to work, Haku. You and I both know how important work is." Chihiro slid out of the corner, and crossed her arms.

He nodded grudgingly, but said, "Work is good for you, but not when your safety is at risk. Listen to me. Boh has grown up, and unfortunately twelve years has given his mother _plenty_ of time to scheme. Yubaba refused to let him see Zeniba any longer, and raised him to be a strong leader." Chihiro frowned. Boh had gotten better, though. Being a mouse had taught him a lesson.

"I don't understand. He defended me. Boh was a good person…"

"Not anymore. He's turned into Yubaba's ideal apprentice; talented, brutal and willing to obey." Chihiro sighed. Her friend had been tainted by his mother… she couldn't imagine living such a horrible nightmare.

An idea struck her, though, "What if she just used the spell she used on you?" She looked at him hopefully, and he shook his head.

"We don't know what caused Boh to change. Zeniba believes that it's more than Yubaba, though. When she last spoke to him, he hadn't an inkling of magical ability."

"But he nearly broke my arm. He was extremely strong…"

"That's not to say that he didn't have some preternatural abilities. It does however, mean, that he couldn't have cast spells. He's doing that now."

She was nearly about to ask what any of this had to do with her when Miss Akita began to pull her away. "Talk on your own time, chickadees. I need Chihiro to work." She promptly handed Chihiro a tray and said, "Table seven. Go." The brunette nodded, and glanced at Haku briefly before she went off to the table.

While she placed the food on the table, she glanced back to see Miss Akita saying something to Haku. Clearly she was displeased about something, but Haku just smiled knowingly. Frowning, she headed back to get the next bowl of ramen. They had stopped talking by then.

"I will talk to you later," Haku said, leaving her to watch him in bewilderment. First he was all 'I need to talk to you, it's urgent' and now it was 'Oh, I can talk to you later'. By the time she thought to ask him when he planned to talk to her, he'd left. Her eyes narrowing, she continued to work.

For the rest of the afternoon her mind dwelled on Boh. Some misfortune had met with him, and that concerned her deeply.

The end of the work day came, blissfully. It was hard to pretend to be cheerful for customers when her mind was occupied by worry. Even though he was a friend from long ago, Boh was still a friend. Just like Haku would always hold a friendship close to her heart.

Briskly, she cleaned her hands and hung the apron up on the hooks near the back door. Miss Akita sat there for a few moments in the small kitchen, and then turned to Chihiro and smiled wanly. "Here's your bit of the tips and your paycheck from the week before. Take it and the rest of the week." Chihiro was about to protest. It was only the beginning of the week and, every pay check counted. As if she predicted her argument Miss Akita said sternly, "You work all the time, girl. Sometimes you need to live. Clearly you haven't seen that boy in a long time. Go spend some time with him."

"Miss Akita, I don't want to shirk off on work and leave you alone…"

"You're only young once. Occasionally I think you can be too old." The older woman stood, and smirked at Chihiro with her hands on her hips. "Besides, I was working this business just fine before you came along. These old bones have enough juice in them to handle one week."

Even though it didn't please Chihiro, she knew that the argument was over. Miss Akita was stubborn, and her word was final. Sighing, Chihiro began the slow walk back to her apartment.

On most evenings, she would have taken the short cut and gone straight home. Tonight, though, she walked around the town, which would lead past the hill where she and her parents had lived. It also passed by the dirt road leading to the ruins.

Tonight, she paused by that road for a long while, thinking about Boh and thinking about Haku. Why today? Then again, why not today? And why her? She sighed, and continued her walk. As always, when she passed her parents home, she smiled at the small memories of the house and thought of her parents. She would have kept the house if it hadn't been so expensive to keep. She'd yet to get the house sold. It would help pay some of that debt.

Looking mournfully down at the pavement, she kept walking, hands in pockets. At times she thought that it would be good to talk to someone about her grief. That wasn't the sort of person Chihiro was. She was better at taking care of others and working hard than she was at taking care of herself at times.

"They were good people, you know." She looked up, and Haku walked beside her in a white trench coat.

"You didn't really know them…" she said.

He shrugged. "I watched them and watched you." She raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly.

"Watched?" He glanced at her, as if to say of course. "That's incredibly stalker-like of you," she remarked.

He laughed. "I guess. But I thought I should say something. You tend to be depressed when you walk by this house. You seemed like you needed comforting."

Chihiro gave him a severe look. "I need no such thing."

Haku looked at her speculatively. "You know, for a woman who is so smart you can be incredibly foolish. Why don't you ever let anyone help you? Grief is nothing to be ashamed about." She bit her lip and glanced to the side.

"It never seems important. And if I can't deal with on my own, who can?" Haku shook his head at her.

"Sometimes you need two people to carry a load that heavy. You have friends for a reason." They met eyes for a few seconds before she glanced away. She hadn't seen Haku for twelve years, and he knew her all too well. The problem was she didn't know him, and she wasn't about to confess to a total stranger what she couldn't say to friends she was still close to.

"So what do I have to do with the whole Boh issue?"

He looked at her for a few moments searching her face. She could tell that he had noticed her dodge, but whether or not he cared she couldn't tell.

"Boh has said that he wants you back in the Spirit World, or he will destroy the Bathhouse."

Chihiro blinked. That certainly hadn't been the answer she was expecting.


	3. Chapter 3

Chihiro sputtered, looking for something to say. "Why would I be any use to him? I mean, why me?"

Haku shook his head. "We – that is Zeniba and a few others who are avoiding Yubaba and Boh – don't know. That's the problem, you see." She looked at him quizzically. "You see, we can't risk letting him destroy the Bathhouse. Spirits occasionally need the worker's help in order to survive, like the river spirit who you saved. It's also a place for purification, which is something that the spirits need to do every now and then or the Spirit World _and_ the Human World would unravel because the spirits cannot do their jobs anymore," he explained. "Quite bluntly; life would suck."

She nodded slowly, and then ran a hand through her hair. With that knowledge, this was suddenly much more calamitous than just Boh being in trouble. The stakes were raised to this world and that world. Thinking of the friends she had in both, she sighed. It was an easy problem to solve.

"Take me to the Spirit World." He scowled at that answer. Clearly that hadn't been what he'd wanted her to say.

"I didn't say that's what you needed to do."

"Since when have you ever told me what to do?" Chihiro responded, simply. "Haku, you were at one point an apprentice to Yubaba like him. As far as I am concerned, you turned out fine. Boh was my friend, and I'm sure there is some good in him still. Besides, the fate of two worlds rests with me, right? The least I can do for everyone is going to the Spirit World."

Haku shook his head. "It's not safe until we know his intentions. You might think you know him, but he's changed a great deal, Chihiro." She scowled at him. Why was he being so difficult?

"You changed a great deal too! Do you remember when I spoke to you again in the Bathhouse, after you had saved me? You were as cold as ice. It was like we had never spoken." He looked to the side, as if ashamed. Chihiro stepped closer to him. "But when we spoke again, you were kind to me. You helped me remember myself so that I could brave the Spirit World."

"I was different," he muttered. "There was definitely a spell. This is darker than that, Chihiro. You can't comprehend how bad it has become."

"Do you think I can understand better in the Human World?" she asked him, somewhat incredulously. "My friends – here and there – are at stake! I will not be the cause of that many deaths." She crossed her arms, suddenly determined and defiant. "Let me talk to him. I might be able to figure out what the problem is."

She watched his jaw tighten stubbornly. It was definitely his intention to disregard what she said. Haku's intention was clearly to keep her away from whatever threat he had spun in his mind. "Haku… my friend is in trouble, and he is threatening all of my other friends as well." He sighed.

"Chihiro. He is _dangerous_ now. You think you know him, but you haven't spoken to him in twelve years." She gave him a look of disbelief.

"Do you _hear_ yourself, Haku? I heard similar warnings about you. If all that I need to do is save everyone is going into the Spirit World, I will." She spun her heel, and began to walk towards the road, suddenly feeling very determined. At this point, Chihiro would stop for no one.

Haku must have sensed this, for he simply walked next to her in silence. There an annoyed sort of tension between the two of them. She could feel it and see it in the way her walked with a disturbed look upon his face, hands in pockets. At this point though she could also see an argument from whatever she tried to say, so she backed off.

After a while, he said, "Why must you be so good?"

Chihiro looked at him, a slightly bewildered look upon her face. "What do you mean?"

Haku looked her back in the eyes, and seemed to search her face. "I mean that you must always save everyone. Even if it means sacrificing your own wellbeing, you dive into the problem anyway to help someone in need. Have you even considered what Boh might do to you? What he might want?"

She shook her head. "I don't care. All he is demanding right now is that I come back to the Spirit World. In my mind, this is a fairly harmless request. A little sudden, perhaps, but I won't die from returning. If he demands more, I will think more about it. At this point, however, the choice is simple." He wasn't listening to her, and her jaw locked stubbornly. Well, if that was the way he was going to do this, she would go on her own.

Chihiro turned her heel, and strode pointedly towards the road.

"Chihiro!" He called to her as she walked away. She didn't respond. Honestly, he was being unreasonable. "Chihiro, this is foolish."

The woman spun to look at him. "You're being foolish! You expect me to just sit down and wait for Boh to destroy everything. If you think I'll do that, then you don't know me." Her expression softened at his hurt look. "Listen, I'm going – with or without your help." She grimaced, and continued on her way.

Honestly? She probably would have preferred to have Haku's help. There was something to be said for having a powerful river spirit on your side in the Spirit World… but he was just being so stubborn.

"If you're going to do something foolish, I might as well be there to help you out." He said this on the breath of a sigh, and she smiled to herself. Company and help was always welcome.

A thought suddenly came to her, "What happened to you? I know you know what I've been up to, but I haven't spoken to you for years…" The corners of his mouth tightened. Clearly this wasn't something he particularly wanted to discuss. She crossed her arms, and looked at the pavement in a resigned manner. "Why don't you want to talk about anything?"

"It's unimportant." Haku's tone was final, and mentally Chihiro sighed. He wasn't much for company.

The pair walked in silence along the road. She looked around, and old memories – still as clear as yesterday – came back to her. They had driven along this road – lost. Passing trees and the pile of spirit houses.

Until they had stopped at the little stout statue, and they had passed through the passageway that would change Chihiro's life.

When they finally reached the statue, she patted it's head nostalgically. "You really don't have to do this, Chihiro," Haku whispered to her. "It would be safer to know what Boh plans to do." She shook her head, and her brown ponytail bobbed with the movement.

"No. This is for the best," she replied.

"Well, at least one of you has some sense." Her eyes darted upward, and there sat a man floating in the middle of the air. He had auburn hair that hung around his face, and was probably a teenager or some age thereabouts. His features were charmingly attractive, and his eyes looked calculating. It was what was in those eyes that made take a step back. They were black and soulless.

"Who are you?" Chihiro asked harshly.

A slightly twisted smile split his face in half, and the teenager seemed to leap down to the ground. "What, you don't remember me?" She frowned, and tried to remember if she had ever seen anyone who looked like him anywhere. He laughed at her expression. "Oh, Chihiro. It's me. Boh."


End file.
